Hi Jim - very nice to meet you.

I saw surfboard layups done with fiberglass rope at the edges for protection. The rope turns clear just like the cloth does, so it looks almost like a clear epoxy bead. My only thought was to go for abrasion resistance. When I saw my friend's 4 year old glass kayak, the gelcoat was completely missing and even the glass layup was cut unto - Exactly in the areas of our "splits." I'm strongly considering kevlar tape below the waterline to cover that seam anyway, so the epoxy bead would not be visible. The "ugliness" of a 2" yellow racing stripe is my only concern.

As to the finish, I'm thinking of going back to varnish. For some reason I didn't think it was hard enough to buff up a good shine, but I was obviously mistaken. I have rubbed out tons of varnished projects, but always stopped at satin - - never thought to try buffing. I would rather work with varnish now that I know what can be done with it.

Best Regards, Spidey